Niantic has announced that 2020 will host a new set of Safari Zone events to be held in key cities across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan. We've got events confirmed into May, filling out the year up to what will likely be the return of Go Fest this summer. Note that this is just speculation, and we don't have any confirmation of a new Go Fest yet.
Taichung City: Taiwan Lantern Festival
The first live event 2020 comes to Taichung City in Taiwan: the Taiwan Lantern Festival!
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| Thursday, February 6 | Sunday, February 9 |
This non-ticketed, city-wide event focuses on light-producing Pokemon in honor of the Taiwan Lantern Festival. Pokemon focused fit the theme by having a particular feature or history that revolves around producing light, such as Ampharos's back-story of being used as the beacon for lighthouses.
Confirmed Pokemon
Events like this one also tend to feature rare and/or regional Pokemon alongside their increased normal spawns, and this event is no exception.
Event Pokemon
While Illumise isn't anything special to those of us in North America, South America, or Africa, its regional status means this will be the first chance for many trainers in Taiwan to add it to their Pokedex.
Unown is generally considered to be the rarest non-regional natural spawn in the game, with the exception of the Lake Trio when they're unleashed into the wild, and many players are still trying to catch all 28 (? and ! are also Unown formes) variants that exist. Safari Zone Taichung City will feature Unown in its "L" forme, so don't miss out on this rarity!
Safari Zone St. Louis
Our first official Safari Zone of the year takes place in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States!
| Tickets On Sale | Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 24, 2020 | Friday, March 27 | Sunday, March 29, 2020 |
Tickets for this one go on sale soon, so get ready to move fast if you want to join in! Regular tickets are $12 each, while early-access tickets are $18 each, and will allow players to get in on the action two hours before everyone else!
Confirmed Pokemon
Event Pokemon
Normally only available in the southern hemisphere, Chatot will migrate north just to visit this special Safari Zone event. While this Normal/Flying Type Pokemon may not be the most exciting competitively, its relative rarity makes it something to get excited about regardless!
This time we have Unown "S" hitting the event, most likely highlighting St. Louis.
Safari Zone Liverpool
The U.K. is getting its first ever Safari Zone in Liverpool, with an appropriate emphasis on the sea!
| Tickets On Sale | Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 31, 2020 | Friday, April 17 | Sunday, April 19 |
Regular tickets are £12 each, while early-access tickets are £18 each, and will allow players to get in on the action two hours before everyone else!
Confirmed Pokemon
Event Pokemon
Relicanth is among the most reclusive of all Pokemon, appearing only in New Zealand naturally. It has some viabiity as a niche Great League Pokemon, so be sure to snap up as many as possible if you attend!
This time we get to see Unown "V", probably for LiVerpool?
Safari Zone Philadelphia
This is the event that we have the least information on by far. Niantic has yet to tell us what the theme, featured Pokemon, event Pokemon, or even the venue for this event will be. We also don't even know when tickets will go on sale yet (though we do know that it will be $12 per ticket and $18 for early access, just like other Safari Zones), so stay tuned for updates as they become available!
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| Friday, May 8, | Friday, May 8, |
Special Note on Shiny Pokemon
Traditionally, Safari Zone events feature the release of one new shiny Pokemon, and we have no reason to believe that these events will be any different. It's likely that we'll see shiny variants of at least one of the Pokemon mentioned for each event, though this is not yet confirmed.
Full Announcement
Trainers,
The year of 2019 featured an incredible lineup of live events for Pokémon GO. From welcoming Trainers to three Pokémon GO Fests across three different continents to hosting our first-ever Safari Zones in Brazil, Singapore, and Canada—every year, we aim to go bigger and better than the last. In 2020, you can look forward to even more events in more locations! We’re pleased to announce the first live events of the year.
- Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City
- Safari Zone St. Louis, Missouri, US
- Safari Zone Liverpool, UK
- Safari Zone Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Pokémon light up a special event during the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City
Get ready to be dazzled by lanterns, music, and Pokémon alike! This special non-ticketed, city-wide event will take place during the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City, Taiwan, from Thursday, February 6, to Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Pokémon that will be appearing include the Electric-type Pokémon Mareep and Electrike. Volbeat, a Bug-type Pokémon known for illuminating the skies, will be appearing throughout the city alongside Illumise, a Bug-type Pokémon that guides Volbeat to draw light patterns. Illumise is typically available only in North America, South America, and Africa, so locals might want to catch one while they have the chance! Catch an Unown L to celebrate the light-themed event, and enjoy the lovely sounds of Chimecho, the Wind Chime Pokémon.
Celebrating the culture of Missouri with Safari Zone St. Louis
We’re excited to have the very first Safari Zone event of the year take place in St. Louis, Missouri! This cultural hub of music, sports, and beautiful parks will be home to Safari Zone St. Louis from Friday, March 27, to Sunday, March 29, 2020. Taking place in Tower Grove Park, this will be a ticketed event, so be sure to keep a lookout on our Twitter @PokemonGOApp for when tickets go live this Friday, January 24, 2020. Tickets will be sold through the Pokémon GO app and will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be $12, and early access tickets will be $18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay two hours early.
Trainers can look forward to encountering Mankey, Unown S, Teddiursa, Snivy, and Ferroseed throughout the park. Trainers from the northern hemisphere can sing for joy: Chatot, which usually appears only in the southern hemisphere, will also be appearing in Tower Grove Park!
Saluting the sea with Water-type Pokémon at Safari Zone Liverpool
Ready your sails—the UK’s first-ever Safari Zone will be taking place in beautiful waterfront Liverpool! Enjoy this ticketed event in the magnificent 235-acre Sefton Park from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19, 2020.
During this maritime-themed event, Trainers will have the opportunity to encounter Krabby, Dratini, Chinchou, Unown V, and Oshawott in the wild. Relicanth—typically available only in New Zealand, Samoa, and some other islands in the southwest Pacific—will also be appearing in the wild, so be sure to catch one if you haven’t already.
Interested in spending this spring weekend by the water with some splashy Water-type Pokémon? Be sure to grab a ticket once they go live on Friday, January 31, 2020! Tickets will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be £12, and early access tickets will be £18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay early and receive two additional hours of gameplay. Be sure to keep a lookout on our Twitter @PokemonGOApp for more details.
Get ready for Safari Zone Philadelphia
Finally, we will be hosting a Safari Zone event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Friday, May 8, to Sunday, May 10, 2020. Tickets will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be $12, and early access tickets will be $18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay early and receive two additional hours of gameplay. Stay tuned—we’ll share more details as soon as we can.
Be sure to make plans early to ensure you obtain transportation and accommodations for the events. We’re super excited for even more events coming up in 2020 and look forward to sharing more details soon. We can’t wait to see you, Trainers!
—The Pokémon GO team
